little league

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Las Vegas - Gonna take you to Williamsport, Pennsylvania for the MLB Little League Classic between the Mets and Mariners. This will be the 8th edition and New York is the designated home team. Note that they call it the MLB Little League Classic and they play in Williamsport. But it AIN'T a little league field. The venue, Bowman Field, stretches 323 feet to left field, 331 feet to right field and a very healthy 411 feet to center field. Looking at Seattle in this matchup because they have an edge in right arms. George Kirby started the season on the DL with shoulder inflammation and didn't join the rotation until late May. He struggled with a 1-4 record but caught fire at the end of June, winning seven of the last eight. And he last three starts (19 innings, 2 earned runs, 0.95 ERA) have been gorgeous. New York's Clay Holmes has been just the opposite of Kirby. He started the season strong, winning seven of 10, but has posted only two Ws in the last 11 outings. And the real worry is the right arm that is wearing thin. Holmes was a relief pitcher his first nine years in MLB and NEVER pitched more than 69 innings. He is already up to 126 innings so far this season and that's a yuge problem. The Williamsport branch of the Bank of Benj is wide open for the Mariners and I'll be waving my trident every time Cal 'Big Dumper' Raleigh goes yard.

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